Department for Education

Education: Travellers

lord bourne of aberystwyth: To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made in improving education outcomes for Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller communities.

lord agnew of oulton: The latest published data, including breakdowns for Gypsy, Roma and Traveller (GRT) pupils, relates to 2019 at key stage 2 and 2018 at key stage 4. At both stages, the data showed a small improvement in headline attainment measures for this group compared to the previous year. At key stage 2, the percentage of GRT pupils attaining the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics rose from 19% in 2018 to 20% in 2019. At key stage 4, the percentage achieving grades 9-4 in English and mathematics rose from 11.8% in 2017 to 13.1% in 2018.The government is taking significant steps forward to support attainment and progression for all pupils, including GRT pupils. Our education reforms, including those aimed at improving teaching; encouraging good attendance and behaviour; and strengthening the curriculum and examination system, are designed to improve opportunity and standards for all pupils. These reforms are underpinned by school accountability measures, which are intended to encourage schools to focus more closely on the attainment of all their pupils.Through the pupil premium; we are addressing low economic circumstances. This is a key factor that predicts future educational outcomes, and affects a high proportion of GRT children. Since 2011, we have provided over £15 billion of this additional funding, with a further £2.4 billion being distributed in this financial year.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Eritrea: Refugees

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what recent assessment they have made of the risk to Eritrean refugees of being forcibly returned to Eritrea by the government of Sudan contrary to the principle of non-refoulement.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​We do not currently assess that Eritrean refugees are at risk of being forcibly returned to Eritrea by the Government of Sudan. The Government of Sudan hosts more than one million registered refugees, including almost 125,000 Eritreans. We continue to support efforts to improve conditions for refugees in Sudan of all nationalities. However, we are aware of recent reports of Eritrean and other migrants being apprehended by police in Khartoum and we appeal to the Government of Sudan to ensure that the fundamental rights of all migrants and refugees in Sudan are respected. We will raise this issue as part of bilateral discussions with the Government of Sudan.

Colombia: Armed Conflict

baroness coussins: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the threat to the security of Afro-Colombian and indigenous communities, especially the Embera–Wounaan, on the Pacific coast of Colombia, following reports of armed skirmishes between paramilitaries, the Army of National Liberation and Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia for control of the land.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​We are aware of reports of violence on Colombia's Pacific coast. The presence of organised armed groups, fighting for control of illicit economies, disproportionately affects a number of Afro-Colombian and indigenous communities. Our Embassy regularly raises concerns about specific communities with the relevant state actors in Colombia. We support the Colombian government's deployment of further security forces to attempt to guarantee security. More widely, long-term security depends on socioeconomic development of the region and vice versa, key reasons why Her Majesty's Government remains steadfast in its support for the 2016 peace process and why the United Kingdom maintains significant development programming in Colombia.

Colombia: Armed Conflict

baroness coussins: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports of collusion between the Colombian security forces and illegal armed groups.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​We are aware that organised armed groups operate in parts of Colombia, and of occasional reports that some members of the security forces are complicit in these groups' activities. We support the Colombian government's efforts to root out any such collaboration, including via our specific programme work to foster good governance and tackle corruption in security forces.Colombia has made significant progress in its efforts to end the influence of paramilitary groups. We have seen little recent evidence of any widespread collusion between security forces and organised armed groups.

Colombia: Armed Conflict

baroness coussins: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on the UK's investment of funding to support the biodiversity hotspot on the Pacific coast of Colombia,of the (1) activities of paramilitary groups in the region, and (2) threat of displacement to the indigenous communities.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​The United Kingdom recognises the unique biodiversity of Colombia's Pacific coast and is committed to helping Colombia safeguard its environmental assets. Although this region is not the focus of our programming, the United Kingdom has implemented some climate change-related projects in the region, as well as some Newton Fund research projects on biodiversity and sustainability.We are aware of reports of violence affecting certain areas in this region, and of the continuing presence of organised armed groups competing for control of illicit economies.The British Government takes into careful consideration such factors when designing projects and deciding which to fund, and we continually monitor the effect of such risks on our programme work in consultation with colleagues working in Colombia. We also make a thorough assessment of the impact of all of our projects, including on the human rights of local communities.We are steadfast in our support of the Colombian peace process, and UK-funded programmes across a range of issues from biodiversity to climate change help to improve the socio-economic conditions in rural areas and tackle the root causes of insecurity, building towards a sustainable peace.

Australia: Fires

baroness crawley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assistance, if any, they have offered to the government of Australia to deal with the bushfire crises.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The Prime Minister, Foreign Secretary and I have been in contact with our Australian counterparts to offer our condolences and stress our readiness to help in whatever way they need. I also met with FM Payne on the 3 January in Sydney and offered our full support.As set out by FCO Minister Heather Wheeler in her Oral Statement of 9 January, we have deployed a team of UK experts to Australia.The team includes a senior member of UK Fire and Rescue Service, a medical specialist in trauma and mental health, and a military liaison officer specialising in crisis response.They will work with Australian counterparts to establish what further UK support will be of most use to Australian emergency responders, and ensure that such contributions are fully integrated with Australian efforts.

Sri Lanka: Politics and Government

lord naseby: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have, or seek, a two-state solution for Sri-Lanka.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The British Government does absolutely not have or seek a two-state solution for Sri Lanka.​

Hong Kong: Demonstrations

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government, following the arrest of medics treating protestors injured in the recent demonstrations in Hong Kong, what assessment they have made of the implications for international (1) humanitarian norms, and (2) human rights law, of any such detentions.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​We take any allegations relating to the arrest of medics treating protesters at demonstrations in Hong Kong extremely seriously. We expect the Hong Kong authorities to abide by international humanitarian norms and laws. We continue to be concerned about the situation in Hong Kong and have called consistently for a robust, independent inquiry into recent events as a step towards resolution of the situation. The only way to resolve this impasse is through meaningful and effective political dialogue. We will continue to raise our concerns with the Hong Kong SAR Government and the authorities in Beijing.

Persecution of Christians across the Globe Independent Review

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to theWritten Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 7 January (HL6) about implementation of the Truro Review that “some of the recommendations will take longer to implement and many will require an ongoing effort to embed into the working practices of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and other departments”, which recommendations they have in mind; and how long they expect the implementation of those to take.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​The Government remains committed to implementing the recommendations of the Bishop of Truro's Review in full and in a way that will bring real improvements to the lives of those persecuted because of their faith or belief. Some recommendations will take longer to implement than others, including developing religious literacy training, which will need to go out to tender, and agreeing a consistent international approach to Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) across Government. In addition, developing and delivering tailored responses to FoRB violations at Post level will always be an ongoing process.

Wang Yi

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the nine-year prison sentence given in China to Pastor Wang Yi of the Early Rain Covenant Church, the removal of his political rights for three years, and the confiscation of his personal assets.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We have raised our concerns about the closure of churches in China, including the Early Rain Covenant Church which Pastor Wang Yi founded, directly with the Chinese authorities. On 2 January, I issued a tweet expressing serious concerns about the recent sentencing of Pastor Wang Yi to nine years in prison following a secret trial and called on China to uphold the fundamental rights and freedoms guaranteed by China’s constitution and international law. More broadly, we remain deeply concerned about the persecution of Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, Falun Gong practitioners and others on the grounds of their religion or belief in China. The freedom to practise, change or share ones faith or belief without discrimination or violent opposition is a human right that all people should enjoy. ​

Wang Yi

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made as to whether the trial of Pastor Wang Yi met standards of impartiality for a fair trial; whether they intend to raise his case with the government of China; and what assessment they have made of the suppression of the open practice of religious beliefs.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We have raised our concerns about the closure of churches in China, including the Early Rain Covenant Church which Pastor Wang Yi founded, directly with the Chinese authorities. On 2 January, I issued a tweet expressing serious concerns about the recent sentencing of Pastor Wang Yi to nine years in prison following a secret trial and called on China to uphold the fundamental rights and freedoms guaranteed by China’s constitution and international law. More broadly, we remain deeply concerned about the persecution of Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, Falun Gong practitioners and others on the grounds of their religion or belief in China. The freedom to practise, change or share ones faith or belief without discrimination or violent opposition is a human right that all people should enjoy.

Ministry of Defence

Sahel: Armed Conflict

the marquess of lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the current situation in Mali and the wider Sahel region; what discussions they have had with the government of the United States about the number of US troops in West Africa further to reports that that government is considering a full or partial withdrawal; and what assessment they have made of the impact of any such withdrawalon the operational ability of UK military personnel in that region.

baroness goldie: Her Majesty's Government is concerned about the security situation in Mali and the spread of insecurity across the region. We remain in close contact with our key partners, including the US and France, to share assessments and coordinate activity. No decisions on the status of US forces in West Africa have been formally communicated by the US Government to HMG. We assess that any possible withdrawal of US forces will have a minimal impact on our deployed forces, but we will keep this under close review.

Department for Work and Pensions

Children: Disadvantaged

lord bird: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to prevent any increase in childhood deprivation.

baroness stedman-scott: The Government is committed to delivering a sustainable, long-term solution to poverty in all its forms. This requires an approach that goes beyond a focus on income and tackles the root causes of poverty and disadvantage, to improve long-term outcomes for families and children.The evidence is clear about the importance of work, in particular full time work, in tackling child poverty and improving children’s educational outcomes. The absolute poverty rate (BHC) of a child, where both parents work full-time is only 4%, compared to 44% where one or more parents are in part-time work. Universal Credit helps by incentivising entry into work, offering smooth incentives to increase hours. We will therefore continue with our reforms to the welfare system so that it works with the tax system and the labour market to support employment and higher pay.